The Moai or Mo’ai are a group of giant monolithic humanoid statues that are created by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Polynesia. A total of 900 of these statues were found to be produced and transported by the Rapa Nui people around the island. Many of these statues are buried with only their heads are showing, which caused them to mistakenly be called “Easter Island Heads.”
These statues were each created to represent one deceased ancestor of the Rapa Nui people. What was really impressive about these statues is that they were all carved in one location and then transported around the island to their present locations.
Unfinished Obelisk
An unfinished ancient obelisk was found in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan. It was thought that this unfinished obelisk was built to complement the Lateran Obelisk, which is the largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk.
What’s amazing about this is that it is nearly one-third larger than any Egyptian obelisk that was ever erected. When completed, it would have measured 137 feet high and weighed 1,090 metric tons. During its creation, however, cracks appeared in the granite, and the project was abandoned. The Egyptians’ masterful stone-working techniques can also still be seen and observed from it.
Copper Scroll
The Copper Dead Sea Scroll was discovered by one archaeologist in a cave near Qumran, Israel, in 1952. It was part of the Dead Sea scrolls, written in Hebrew, and was estimated to be from around 50-100 BC. The difference with the Copper Dead Sea Scroll is that it was made of a huge block of copper which had to be cut into sheets and laid flat to be able to read what was written on it.
Upon inspection and study of the scroll’s inscriptions - the text describes a map where certain treasures from either the first or second temple of Jerusalem can be found.
Desert Kites
Low dry-stone walls that form lines that are up to 40 miles long were discovered in the deserts of Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Viewed from above, these stone wall lines resemble a very large kite. Almost 2,000 of these Desert Kites have been discovered across Jordan and Syria until today.
Upon further study of the Desert Kites from the Negev and northeast Sinai, it was found that they were established in the late 4th millennium BCE or early 3rd millennium BCE. They were generally believed to have been used to catch herds or groups of wild animals that were consumed for food.
Tunnels of Baiae
While exploring the cliffs of Baiae, Italy, archaeologists discovered an ancient tunnel system. For many years after its discovery, it generally remained unstudied, although many believe that it was part of a Necromanteion. A Necromanteion is a temple where people went to consult the dead; this specific one was given the name “Oracle of the Dead.”
One reason this place remained unstudied by archaeologists is that most of the town of Baiae has now been submerged underwater because of volcanic activity. The few expeditions that have been attempted to study it, however, have shown that it contained numerous Roman sculptures and temples to various Roman gods.